Mitsubishi Delica: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Mitsubishi Delica fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 12.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,367 individual Mitsubishi Delica tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 64% first-time pass rate means roughly 36 in every 100 Mitsubishi Delicas presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Mitsubishi Delica tested had covered 120,620 miles and was built around 2007.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Mitsubishi Delica sits 12.7 points below the national average, ranked 1,882 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Mitsubishi Delica rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Mitsubishi Delicas at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Mitsubishi Delica

1. Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 3.7% of tests (17.54x the national rate for this defect)
2. An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 6.8% of tests (15.51x the national rate for this defect)
3. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 14.4% of tests (15.23x the national rate for this defect)
4. Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point, 3.2% of tests (13.77x the national rate for this defect)
5. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 5.2% of tests (12.6x the national rate for this defect)
6. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 6.5% of tests (8.78x the national rate for this defect)
7. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 4.3% of tests (3.98x the national rate for this defect)
8. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 6% of tests (3.93x the national rate for this defect)
9. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 3.4% of tests (3.33x the national rate for this defect)
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 4.5% of tests (2.7x the national rate for this defect)

From 1,363 DVSA-tracked Mitsubishi Delica tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.17% of these flagged Mitsubishi Delica defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Mitsubishi Delica

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Mitsubishi Delica before it actually fails on it.

1. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 8.6% of tests (13.23x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 5.9% of tests (4.78x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 7% of tests (4.64x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 20.6% of tests (3.71x the national rate for this advisory)
5. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 4.6% of tests (3.47x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 20.2% of tests (3.26x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 34.3% of tests (2.57x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 6.6% of tests (2.32x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
9. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.8% of tests (1.4x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 12.3% of tests

From 1,363 DVSA-tracked Mitsubishi Delica tests, 2024.

Mitsubishi Delica by fuel type

The Mitsubishi Delica's two most-tested fuel types split by 7.5 points: petrol passes first time 68.4% of the time (759 tests) against 60.9% for diesel (578 tests).

• Petrol Mitsubishi Delica - 68.4% first-time pass, 759 tests
• Diesel Mitsubishi Delica - 60.9% first-time pass, 578 tests

Other Mitsubishi models

• Mitsubishi L200 - 75.2%
• Mitsubishi Outlander - 80.3%
• Mitsubishi Asx - 78.7%
• Mitsubishi Shogun - 73.3%
• Mitsubishi Colt - 64.2%
• Mitsubishi Mirage - 85.7%
• Mitsubishi Lancer - 71.5%
• Mitsubishi Eclipse - 88.7%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Daihatsu Terios - 64.3%
• Mitsubishi Colt - 64.2%
• Nissan Almera - 64.1%
• Toyota Previa - 63.8%
• Nissan Primera - 63.8%
• Honda Fr-V - 63.7%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate